Danny Fox finished the game against Reading last weekend with a bloodied head, wrapped in a huge white bandage – but also with a broad smile across his face.

He probably woke up with a corking headache on Sunday morning, but to say the defender is enjoying life at Nottingham Forest would be something of an understatement.

Fox was, at one stage, frozen out of the squad completely by Dougie Freedman and, over the years, was often – largely unfairly - targeted for criticism by fans for his performances at left-back.

But since moving into the centre of defence, his career has undergone a remarkable revival.

In the first three games of the Championship season, Fox has been an ever-present in the heart of the back-four, with Michael Dawson, Tobias Figueiredo and Joe Worrall having to fight it out for the place alongside him.

The capture of Michael Hefele will only add extra intensity to that particular fight for places.

Danny Fox hurls himself into a challenge. (Image: John Sumpter @ JMS Photography)

But, now he has got it, 32-year-old Fox is determined to hold on to his shirt for as long as possible, as Forest look ahead to a fixture, at Wigan, at a stadium where the Reds have never won, in six visits in all competitions.

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“It is looking good. I am just looking forward to every game,” said Fox, who will hope to be back involved after seeing Aitor Karanka change his entire starting XI for the EFL Cup game against Bury.

“There is a fight for places, but that is the manager’s decision. I have got the shirt and I want to keep it for as long as I can.

“Michael Dawson will want the shirt as well, Joe Worrall has not been in the squad yet and we have seen Tobias do really well.

“So it is healthy. Nobody is guaranteed to play every game and I don’t think anyone will play every game.

“We look forward to every game and having the squad we have to pick from is healthy.

“There is a lot more experience now, because we have the likes of Jack (Colback), Ben Watson, Costel Pantilimon, Adlene Guedioura, Lewis Grabban – who had a very good season and has play-off experience in recent seasons – and Michael Dawson.

“Then there are the Portuguese lads, not just the three we signed in the summer, but also Tobias, who every time he plays impresses me more.”

Karanka had made it a priority for Forest to get their business done as swiftly as possible this summer, with the end result being the majority of the new additions were able to join up with the rest of the squad for their training camp in Spain last month.

And Fox feels that is a small thing that could have a big impact, in the coming weeks and months.

“I am not surprised that things have come together so quickly, because we have done a lot of training and the gaffer and the other people behind the scenes have done their homework on the players we have brought in,” said the former Scotland international.

“I’d include the lads who were here last season in that as well, in the likes of Jack, Costel, Adlene and Watson.

“It is not a surprise to us, but hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise for the people watching. But we are only a few games in. Start judging us after 10 games, which is when things will start panning out, I think.”

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Fox has been impressed with the early impact made by Gil Dias, Joao Carvalho and Diogo Goncalves – but also by the attitude of the Portuguese trio.

“They have settled in really well, they are very good and they are good lads as well,” said Fox. “They are not just about the flair, they work really hard for the team. That is what we need. They have settled in really well.

“We are only a few games in. I am sure there will be changes, because we have a good squad and there are good decisions for the gaffer to make.

“But that is a good place for him to be in. It is good for the gaffer to have those decisions, rather than to not have them.

Joao Carvalho arrives at The City Ground. (Image: John Sumpter @ JMS Photography)

“Everything is a lot better, behind the scenes and on the pitch. It all looks well.

“If we had drawn last season, I don’t think the fans would have clapped us off in the manner they did after the (West Brom) game.

“The lads appreciated that and hopefully it means the fans have seen that we have put in a shift and that we were the better team. I feel that we were. We are in good shape, but we need to be consistent because it is a long season and the most consistent teams always get promotion.”

Expectation and pressure are nothing new on the banks of the Trent, where Forest have long been dreaming of a return to the top flight, after almost two decades away.

After 13 summer signings and a steady start to the new campaign, which has seen Forest play some electric, exciting football, that sense of hope and anticipation has only bloomed.

But Fox makes the point it is far better, as a player, to have to live up to high expectations, than to go into a season expecting a fight for survival.

“I think there is no other way to look at it - if we play like that regularly (as they did against West Brom), we will be just fine. We were playing against a team who were just relegated from the Premier League – and we were the better team. They had a few chances when we were on the ropes, after conceding.

“But it is not rocket science, if we play to that level every week we will win more games than not, particularly when we are playing at home with the backing we now have from fans.